Tag Archives: real names

When I look at the names of the people who have already registered for the new HowardOwens.com, I see nothing but a list of friends.

And that’s part of what I want for the resurrected HowardOwens.com. I want this to be a site where people feel safe to discuss whatever issue I happen to introduce in a blog post.

I’m done with trolls.

I’m done with anonymous posters.

On a web site where the expectation is we attract an audience of mature, professional adults, the notion that all participants contribute under the byline of his or her real name shouldn’t seem obscene or unexpected.

As a matter of ethics, I believe anybody in the information business should never, under any circumstances, hide behind a pseudonym.

The real name policy was mocked in comments on Dan Kennedy’s blog. I figure such derisive remarks come from people who somehow just managed to graduate from their AOL account 18 months ago. I’ve been running online communities for well more than a decade. I’ve learned a few things. As arrogant as it sounds, I’m not taking lessons from neophytes.

Of course, the question naturally arises: How will I enforce a real name policy? And my only answer is, as best I can.

Basically, if you’re a troll, you won’t last long on my new site. If you engage in personal attacks against me or other people leaving comments on the site, you will be blocked.

Fake names are generally pretty easy to detect, and since it’s my site, I don’t need proof. I only need suspicion.

Does that mean I’ll delete comments just because a person disagrees with me? Of course not. I happen to love a good discussion over differing views. But I know it’s also possible to disagree, as they say, without being disagreeable.

Basically, my expectation and what I intend to do enforce as best I an, is that discussions on howardowens.com stick to issues and aim at being instructive.

If my draconian rules mean fewer people will comment, I’m willing to live with that.

And if you think you should be able to spout off whatever bullshit you please without attaching your real name to your opinions, then howardowens.com isn’t the place for you, and I don’t care if you don’t like it. There’s always blogger.com where any person can rant to his chickenshit anonymous heart’s content.

About

Howard Owens is a digital media pioneer. He started publishing local news online in 1995 when very few local news outlets had web sites. The header image on the site depicts the film camera he used early in his career and the press pass from his year on the staff of the Carlsbad Journal. For more on Howard's professional background, read his LinkedIn profile
HowardOwens.com is the personal web site of Howard Owens and covers his range of interests -- political localism and libertarianism, music and personal interests, as well as his professional interests.
Howard is currently publisher of The Batavian and lives in Batavia, N.Y., with his wife Billie, five cats and Rottweiler "Pachuco."